


Long Time Comin'

by the_space_goddess_16



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02e13 The Trouble With Tribbles, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Leonard McCoy - Freeform, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Star Trek - Freeform, Star Trek: AOS, Tribbles (Star Trek)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-04 11:07:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11553924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_space_goddess_16/pseuds/the_space_goddess_16
Summary: When a certain southern doctor shows up at their work, the reader has no idea how much one conversation could change their life forever.





	1. Thrift Shoppin'

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! So, it's been a long while since I've written fanfiction of any kind, but I recently dove into the Star Trek fandom and I figured I'd give it a go. This chapter the first of a mini-series I'm working on, let me know what you think and if you'd like me to continue!

It was a hot summer day in the middle of July, the Colorado sun beating mercilessly on everything it touched. You stood up and groaned, surveying the piles of clothing and knick-knacks surrounding you, each in various levels of disrepair. Sorting donations at a thrift store definitely wasn’t your preferred line of work, but it paid the bills. After a few moments, you lifted your baseball hat to wipe the sweat dripping from your forehead and went back to digging through the endless piles of other people’s stuff. 

You didn’t see him when he walked up, nearly jumping away at the sound of a strange voice standing altogether too close. 

“Excuse me, m’am?”

You squinted up at the man, too tired and irritated to respond. 

“Where should I put these?” He continued in his southern lilt, looking down at his armful of neatly folded clothes. 

You sighed, reaching out both hands towards him, “I’ll take them. Is there anything else you need?” 

“That’s it,” he handed you the pile, freezing when he caught a glimpse of the black lines on your wrist. 

“Have a nice day!” you turned away quickly, not in the mood for further conversation. 

“Wait – I’m sorry, is that a Starfleet symbol? On your wrist?”

“Yes.” 

He frowned, studying you with his arms crossed over his chest.

“If you’re a member of Starfleet, then why in God’s name are you here?” 

“I’m not in Starfleet,” you snapped, “Not anymore. I mean, I went to the academy, but I never really served.” 

“So, are you a dropout or what?” 

You dropped his clothes on the ground abruptly, turning to face him. “for your information, sir, I was the top of my class in every subject and graduated with honors,” you stepped back, surprising yourself with the outburst, “I just didn’t… couldn’t…” you trailed off, unsure of how to explain yourself. 

He grimaced, staring at his shoes. “My apologies m’am. I didn’t mean to offend.” 

You both stood in silence for a few moments, at a complete loss for words. 

“My mom died,” you confessed quietly. “She was a doctor for Starfleet and a professor at the academy.”

The man’s eyes snapped up, looking at you sadly. He squinted at you curiously and tried to say something, but you pushed forward, knowing you were rambling but unable to keep the words from tumbling out. 

“She was on her last mission before she retired. There was an outbreak of a previously undiscovered alien virus on one of the planets her ship visited and she refused to leave until she figured out a cure for the inhabitants. She was infected within a few days and died before they could synthesize the medicine she needed,” you took a deep breath, absentmindedly touching your wrist. “It’s for her. She loved Starfleet, and she died saving the lives of people she had never met. I went to med school and joined Starfleet because of her, because I just wanted to be like her. It was a few months after I had graduated from the academy and I just… couldn’t go back. Everything reminded me of her.” 

“Why here?” He asked, still studying you intently.

You shrugged, starting to pick his clothes off the ground. “I don’t really know. I kind of just started driving east and stopped when I felt like I was far enough away.” 

He stooped to the ground and started picking up clothes, still frowning with his eyebrows knitted together. You were getting increasingly uncomfortable with this man that asked too many questions, even if his accent was kind of cute and he had the warmest hazel eyes and seemed vaguely familiar and – 

“What do you want from me?” you jerked yourself out of your reverie and tried to shove away the troubling thoughts, grabbing the rest of the clothes from him and throwing them into a box. 

“I just don’t think this is what Diana would have wanted for you,” he said quietly. 

“What?!” you choked out, too shocked to move. “How the hell – who the fuck are you?”

“Dr. Leonard McCoy, at your service m’am,” his frown melted into a smile as he saw a flash of recognition cross your face when he said his name. 

“McCoy? As in mom’s favorite student McCoy?”

“The one and only. And that makes you Y/N, right?” he held out a hand for you to shake. “I know we’ve met once or twice briefly but… it’s been a while.” 

You shook his hand tentatively. “I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. She absolutely adored having you in her class.” 

“She was a wonderful person and an incredible doctor.” He ran a hand through his hair, “I’m sorry to hear about her passing.” 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

He raised an entirely unconvinced eyebrow at you but thankfully said nothing. 

“So, what brings you out here?” you asked, “San Francisco isn’t exactly nearby.” 

“I’m on shore leave for a few weeks and I figured I should go somewhere I hadn’t before.” He shrugged, “the mountains aren’t bad either. Why are you here?” 

“You know, she tried to set us up once.” You rapidly changed the subject, smiling at the memory.

“What? Well I’ll be damned.” He grinned, 

“It was my first year at the academy and she wouldn’t stop talking about this student I just had to meet, this brilliant, handsome young doctor with such a promising career…” you couldn’t help yourself from laughing a little at the thought of your easily excited mother. 

“So?” 

“So, what?”

“So, what did you say?” He asked, reaching over to help you sort. 

“I told her I was far too busy with my studies to even consider seeing someone. Also, I had a thing for someone else.”

“Well that’s just my luck isn’t it,” he grumbled.

“It wasn’t worth it, don’t worry. He dropped out after failing too many labs,” you chuckled to yourself. Good ol’ Richard Casey. He was always good for a fun time but wasn’t the sharpest tool in the – 

“I think you should consider coming back.” McCoy said abruptly. 

“Back to what?,” you shook your head, “there’s nothing left for me. Not here, not there, not anywhere.” 

“Y/N, would you stop being so damn determined to be miserable and hear me out?”

“Mom never mentioned you having an attitude problem.”

“She never mentioned you being a quitter either.”

You opened your mouth to retort and he held up his hands, “okay, now maybe that was uncalled for. I myself have quit on many occasions, but that’s beside the point.” He took a deep breath and bent down to look directly into your eyes, “the simple truth is, you aren’t happy here. Anyone can see that. And while I’m far from Starfleet’s biggest fan, it gave me a home when I had nowhere else to go, and I think it can do that for you too,” he paused, “and while I can’t speak for her, I think Diana would want you to go.” 

You stared at the ground, not wanting to believe what he was saying but knowing it was true. Mom never would have wanted you to run away, not like this, but the thought of going back to San Francisco and facing the memories that haunted you was too much to process. 

“I know, but McCoy I… I can’t,” You stuttered out, wiping frantically at the tears threatening to fall. 

“It’s okay, I’m not trying to pressure you into anything. Believe it or not, I understand what you’re going through.” McCoy placed a hand on your shoulder. “Listen, maybe now isn’t the best time to talk about this. When do you get off?”

You took a few moments to finish collecting yourself and gave him a small smile.  
“Five, why?”

“Can I take you out for a drink after work?”

“Are you going to keep trying to recruit me?” 

“Maybe. We do have an empty position on the medical team on the Enterprise.” He shrugged. 

“McCoy – “ you warned.

“Or maybe I just want to spend more time with you.” 

You could have imagined it, but there seemed to be just the slightest blush creeping into his cheeks and the tiniest fidget of his hands while he waited for your answer. 

“Fine,” you sighed, “make it dinner and you’ve got yourself a deal.” 

He gave you a warm smile, “I’ll be back at five?” 

“Yes McCoy, see you at five,” you feigned irritation in a vain attempt to contain your excitement, eventually giving in and returning his smile. 

He winked and strode away, whistling a little as he went. You looked up towards the sun, closing your eyes for a moment as a delightfully cool breeze swept across your face. 

“Okay, mom,” you smiled up at the sky, “message received.”


	2. It's About Damn Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy reading!

You had told him no.   
You had told him no, and yet here you were, clutching the armrests of the last transport out of Colorado for the month and on your way to San Francisco. Getting back into Starfleet shouldn’t be a problem, considering you had already graduated from the academy and knew several high-ranking officers personally thanks to your mother, but you couldn’t seem to stifle the rising panic. It had been several long, painful years since you had been to San Francisco, and you weren’t keen on going back anytime soon. Thankfully you wouldn’t be spending much time there if all went well, but just the thought of the glistening city made your stomach turn. You still couldn’t wrap your mind around what had possessed you to quit your job at the last minute and run to the nearest transport with nothing more than the clothes on your back. You knew you could be impulsive, but still, leaving a steady job for a highly uncertain future was next level reckless in your book.  
Maybe it was because McCoy was right, because you were stuck and had nothing left to lose. Maybe it was the way his warm hazel eyes had made you feel safer than you had in years, despite his outwardly grouchy demeanor. Maybe you were just so tired of feeling nothing that even the pain of going home would be a welcome respite. Or maybe you were just bored.   
Still, you had initially told him no. You had gone to dinner with McCoy like he asked, you had shared memories of your mother and listened to him talk about Starfleet, and you had still said no.   
“Alright darlin’, I completely understand. Just figured I might as well try,” he had sighed a little and squeezed your hand. “I wish you the best of luck with everything.”  
You had thanked him for dinner and watched him walk away. He had turned to wave and smiled, smiled like he knew something you didn’t and was only waiting for you to figure it out yourself.   
Fucking bastard.   
You rolled your eyes and groaned, leaning back into your seat. An alarm dinged and you took a deep breath as the transport started to land, not daring to even open your eyes to see the view. 

 

The second the transport hit the ground you bolted from your seat, breaking into a near-run. The streets of the city were achingly familiar but you kept running, afraid derailing your already shaky determination. You burst through the door of General Adrian’s office at the Starfleet headquarters, praying to every god you could think of she would be in, and almost knocked over her assistant.   
“I’m sorry miss, but the general isn’t taking visitors right now,” the young cadet pushed up his glasses and clutched a pile of PADDs, “if you wish to make an appointment I can – “  
“Y/N? Is that you?” Adrian stood up, her eyes lighting up when she recognized you. “Let her in Tom, this is an old friend.”  
Tom gave a confused glace at your bedraggled appearance before scurrying away. You smiled and gave the general a warm hug, thankful for the small mercy of a familiar face.   
“What brings you here, Y/N? Are you alright? Don’t take this wrong, but you look terrible.” Adrian sighed as she inspected you.  
“I’m fine, Melanie, and I think you’ll actually be happy about the reason I’m here.”   
Her face slowly lit up as the realization struck her and she grabbed your arm, squeezing gently. “Are you coming back? To Starfleet?” she asked quietly.   
All you could do was smile and nod as she hugged you until you couldn’t breathe.   
“There’s an empty spot on the Enterprise medical team I could get you into. They leave tomorrow, take the 2100 transport up to the ship tonight and get settled before your first day working tomorrow. Your uniform and anything else you need will be waiting in your room, and you’ll be reporting to Doctor McCoy.” She gave you a puzzled look as your lips quirked into a smirk at the mention of McCoy. “I was wondering if you remembered McCoy. He was one of your mother’s favorites.”  
“Oh, yes, I remember McCoy. I’m sure we’ll work splendidly together.”  
You smothered your amusement and gave Melanie another hug before jogging to the nearest shuttle, a feeling of excitement and nervousness swelling up inside you. As hard as it was to be back at Starfleet with all of its painful reminders of your mother, it felt undeniably right to be there. This was your place in the universe, the path you were meant to walk, and you felt a sense of contentment that had eluded you for a very, very long time. 

 

You had barely slept a wink the entire night, too jittery and filled with anticipation for the start of your new life. You could feel the gentle hum of the ships engines, thankful to be spending the night on the Enterprise instead of in San Francisco. Confronting your confusing feelings towards Starfleet was enough for now; home would have to wait.   
After a hot shower and breakfast, you felt decidedly better. You pulled back your hair into a sleek ponytail and put on your uniform, nearly gasping when you glimpsed your reflection. The resemblance to your mother was uncanny, from the way you did you held yourself in uniform to the simplicity of the smooth ponytail. She would’ve loved this, would’ve loved to finally see you in uniform after all of your hard work at the academy, but the universe had other plans for both of you.  
You took one last glance in the mirror and walked briskly out of your quarters and down the hall. It still felt surreal to even be here, on the flagship of the federation, when less than a day ago you were rummaging through other people’s trash.   
It wasn’t difficult for you to find the medbay after spending part of your sleepless night studying a map of the Enterprise. You took a deep breath and stepped through the doors, shoving down a sudden burst of nerves as you found yourself surrounded by unfamiliar faces.   
“Hello! I’m Christine Chapel, and you must be our newest member of the med team.”  
“That’s me,” you smiled gratefully, “I’m Y/N. I was a last-minute transfer so I’m not sure if my information is in the system yet.”   
“It should be, but I would check in with Doctor McCoy. He’s in his office over there,” she gestured to a door on the other side of the room as other members of the med team bustled around. “He can be a bit… abrasive, initially, but he’s really a sweetheart.” She wrote something on her PADD and gave you another warm smile, “Let me know if you need anything. And welcome to the Enterprise.”   
You thanked her, grateful for her kindness, and turned towards McCoy’s office. You knocked on the door, walking in to find a McCoy that was much more presentable then when you first met him.   
“Yes?” He said gruffly, frowning down at his PADD.   
“Officer Y/N reporting for duty, sir.”   
He looked up, the only change in his expression a raised eyebrow and the slightest hint of a smirk.   
“Well, well, well,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair. You couldn’t help but grin a little at the slow smile spreading across his face.  
“It’s ‘bout damn time you showed up.”


	3. Cold Hands, Warm Heart

You shivered a little as you typed a last-minute note into your PADD and glanced around the medbay. Despite the temperature controls on the Enterprise, you couldn’t help but feel a little chilly in the vastness of space.  
“How you holdin’ up, kid?”   
You pushed back an errant piece of hair and turned to see a mildly concerned McCoy looking at you. Another shiver ran down your spine as you rubbed your arms absentmindedly.   
“Is it always this cold, or is it just me?” you sighed.  
He chuckled as you handed him the PADD, clocking you out from your first shift. “You’ll get used to it eventually. Come on, let’s go to dinner.”   
“Are you going to talk me into making a life-altering decision again?” You shook your head slightly and walked out of the medbay, turning towards the cafeteria. It seemed impossible that the last time you’d had dinner with McCoy had been only a few days ago; so much had changed in so little time.   
“No, but buckle up darlin’ because you’re about to meet Captain James Tiberius Kirk himself.” McCoy rolled his eyes and abruptly changed directions, “but first, I’m going to take you on a tour.”   
“That’s really not necessary, I’ve studied the map,” you protested, “you’ve done enough for me as it is.”  
“Too bad.” McCoy playfully shoved you into the turbolift and proceeded to give you what was likely the most deprecating tour of a starship in Federation history.   
“And this is the engineering room,” McCoy gestured around the room with a sarcastic flourish when you reached the ship’s heart, “where Scotty over here plays with what is nothin’ more than a giant bomb waiting to explode.” He shook his head, looking deeply pained, “also known as the warp core.”   
“Hey! That’s my ship you’re talkin’ about there laddie!” The chief engineer poked his head out from a hole in the ceiling, hanging upside down with a torch in hand.   
“Good god man!” McCoy jumped back, startled by Scotty’s sudden appearance, “you’d think someone in charge of keeping this entire hunk of metal together would be more careful with the damn blowtorch.”  
You laughed and stepped past McCoy, reaching up a hand to shake Scotty’s. “I’m Y/N, pleasure to meet you sir.”   
“Aye, there’s no need to be callin’ me sir, lass.” He shook your hand and winked, grinning at McCoy, “She’s a pretty one, isn’t she now Leonard?”   
McCoy grumbled something about where Scotty could put his blowtorch and led you through another set of hallways, ending at the observation deck.   
You immediately strode into the room, staring up at the stars streaming past you in rays of light. It was peaceful yet striking, a quiet display of the beautiful enormity of the universe. You were quiet for a few moments, wrapped up in the view, until you noticed that you were standing in the center of the vast room alone.   
“McCoy?” you turned around, frowning when you saw him shifting uncomfortably in the doorway.  
“I don’t like space,” he said bluntly, staring at the floor and crossing his arms.   
“Why?” you squinted at him, confused, “why do you work on a starship if you don’t like space?”   
He shrugged, “Jim dragged me out here. Besides, someone needs to keep all of these idiots from getting themselves killed.”   
You masked a smile at his thinly concealed affection for his crewmates and walked to the door, resisting the temptation to take his hand. He seemed so small and vulnerable suddenly, cowering in the doorway, afraid of what was always just outside the glass.   
“I’m hungry,” you nudged McCoy, still not entirely sure of what to do with his inconvenient fear of space but knowing better than to push him.  
“Let’s go meet these friends of yours.” 

You walked into the Cafeteria and were greeted by a chorus of hello’s as McCoy was waved over to one of the bigger tables. The group assembled was talking loudly and energetically, waving their hands as they joked and argued.   
“All that I’m saying is, the Kobayashi Maru isn’t even fair to begin with,” the handsome man in a gold shirt seemed barely able to keep himself from running around the room, bouncing his leg and staring pointedly across the table.   
“Captain, as we have discussed numerous times before, you are missing the point of the test entirely,” an even voice responded, the Vulcan radiating a calmness that counteracted the captain’s endless energy.   
“Come on, Spock –“   
McCoy cleared his throat loudly and the conversation came to an abrupt halt. You felt a slight flush rise to your cheeks as everyone turned to look at you, suddenly noticing your presence.   
“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Y/N. Y/N, this is Commander Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, Lieutenant Sulu,” Spock nodded to you while Uhura and Sulu both smiled and gave you a wave. “This is Chekov, our very own child genius,” McCoy pointed to a curly-haired teenager that strongly resembled a puppy, “and of course, our captain, James T. Kirk.” McCoy gave an exasperated sigh as he looked down at the captain.   
“Jim, you eat like shit.”  
The captain gave him a wicked grin and you your second wink of the day. “I have to keep my figure somehow, don’t I Bones?”   
“You’re an idiot.” McCoy ate a fry off of Kirk’s plate, ignoring his cry of protest and turning to you. “Have a seat, I’ll be right back.”   
You fidgeted nervously with the hem of your uniform and went to sit next to Uhura, at a loss for what to say.   
“I’m Jim,” the captain held out his hand after studying you a few moments, “it’s good to have you aboard.”   
“Thank you, captain,” you smiled, “I’m happy to be here.”   
He continued to look at you like you were a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. “Have I seen you before? You look familiar.”   
“I was a few years ahead of you at the academy, it’s possible we ran into each other at some point.” You shrugged, not wanting to discuss the reasons for your several-year disappearance from Starfleet on your first day back.   
Jim, however, was insatiably curious.  
“If you graduated before me, why does your file state that this is your first assignment –“   
“So, tell me about the away mission I was lucky enough to miss out on today.” McCoy came to your rescue, sliding you a plate of food and sitting down beside you. “Speaking of which, you still haven’t come in for your physical yet.”   
You gave McCoy a thankful smile when he glanced at you. You weren’t ready to talk about your past, not just yet, and he seemed to understand that without you having to say a word.   
“Don’t tell the captain, but you can call me Nyota.” Uhura whispered to you, the corners of her mouth turning up into a mischievous smile.   
“No problem,” you felt yourself finally relax, letting down after a long day. You talked to Nyota and Sulu as you finished your dinner, the comforting presence of McCoy never leaving your side.   
Space was cold, but your heart was warmer than it had been in ages on Earth. 

The medbay was quiet when you walked in the next morning, sipping a cup of coffee and humming quietly to yourself. You walked over to set your mug down and found something soft draped over the nearest chair with a small note pinned to it.   
Jim’s dragging me to some godforsaken planet, so try not to let anyone die while I’m away. Comm M’Benga if you need anything.   
\- McCoy   
The note was written on a piece of paper that looked to be torn from the page of an old book in neat, slanted handwriting. You picked up the sweater it was pinned to, slipping it over your head and breathing in the now-familiar scent of the Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer. McCoy wasn’t the most tactful person, to say the least, but he somehow still managed to be one of the kindest beings you had ever met.   
Maybe coming aboard the Enterprise wasn’t such a bad idea after all.


	4. Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: WOW so ya girl finally got back to this series and honestly, I really like this part and I’m very happy that I finally got around to continuing it. Let me know what ya’ll think, enjoy!

“Captain, wait!”

“I’m sorry, Y/N, but we don’t have time for this,” Jim quickened his pace towards the transporter room while you followed closely behind. “I understand your concerns, but I can assure we’ve been on far more dangerous missions than this one, and the people down there need our help.” 

The logical part of your mind heard him and begged you to calm down, but you were too overwhelmed by blind panic to listen. “You can’t go down there, none of you can,” you gripped his arm, forcing him to come to a stop. Your vision blurred and it was all you could do to stay upright while the waves of nausea and desperation washed over you. Jim was there one moment and the next he was gone, replaced by an ambiguous Starfleet officer in gray handing you the notice of your mother’s death. 

We regret to inform you…

“We’re fairly certain the virus doesn’t affect humans, and we’ve taken all of the proper precautions,” Jim plied your fingers from his arm, his tone gentle and soothing but insistent.  
Virus…

“There have been plenty of away missions far less routine and more dangerous than this… Y/N are you alright?” 

During a mission…

“I’m here, Jim.” McCoy rounded the corner, med pack in hand. “Officer, Y/N, why aren’t you in the med bay?” 

“McCoy, please,” you pleaded earnestly, grabbing him by the shoulders. “You can’t do this, you can’t go down there.” You were aware to some degree that you must look out of your mind to everyone around you. Your nails digging into the CMO as tears started to trickle down your face, every fiber of your being quivering with the sheer force of your determination. Nothing was more important than keeping them safe; this doctor, this captain, this crew, had become your family in the past few months and there was no way you were going to lose them the same way you had lost your mom. 

McCoy sighed as he realized the reason behind your outburst. “I know why you’re upset, Y/N, but I promise you, nothing is going to happen,” he gently pushed you away, giving your arm a comforting squeeze and turning back to the captain. 

“Jim, we need to get down there as soon as possible. I don’t know how much I’ll be able to do if we wait much longer.” 

Died saving many lives…  
“No,” you whispered, feeling the edges of your vision start to blur. For a split second, Leonard reminded you so keenly of her, from the way he tilted his head to the urgent grip on his med pack to the fire in his hazel eyes to the – 

“NO!” You screamed, lunging at McCoy and shoving him against the wall. He reacted quickly, pinning you between his side and the wall before stabbing you in the arm with a hypo. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and you could have sworn you felt careful fingers brush away the last of your tears.

As the sedative worked its way through your veins McCoy’s concerned face looked down on you, his eyes so warm and kind, just like hers, just like that poor officer that had the dismal job of breaking the worst news of your life to you. Did he have hazel eyes too?

In the moments before you sank into darkness there was nothing more than a faint, sinking feeling of failure and the sharp memory of a crisp uniform and a rainy day. 

You were curled up in your favorite chair, surrounded by PADDs and clutching a warm mug of tea while studying for finals. The doorbell to your dorm dinged and you groaned, kicking off your blankets and shuffling across the room. You were greeted by a man you had never seen before, clad in his Starfleet uniform and wearing an expression of regret.

I’m sorry miss, but I must inform you that your mother, Dr. Y/L/N has passed away during a mission. She was the victim of a new strand of the Benecian Virus and died saving many lives. Please accept our condolences, on behalf of all of Starfleet.

It had been raining that day, and for you, the rain hadn’t stopped since. 

 

The soft, familiar beeping of medbay pulled you from your slumber, the bed beneath you smelling of antiseptic and lemons. There was someone holding your hand, rubbing slow circles on your palm. 

“McCoy?” You sat up, the events of the day flooding back to you.

“He’s not here, hon, but he will be soon.” Christine smiled kindly at you, putting her hand on the back of your neck and lowering you to the pillow. “You can go back to your quarters soon if you would like and you’ve been cleared from duty for the rest of the day.”

There was another wave of panic when you realized that Jim and McCoy were still gone but you pushed it down, focusing on Christine’s steady, warm hand in yours. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she said softly, “you gave us quite a scare, dear.”

“I’m sorry, Chris,” you mumbled, hot tears prickling at the backs of your eyes again. 

“It’s alright, Y/N, I just want to make sure you’re okay. Not as your nurse, but as your friend.”

You dragged in a deep breath, tilting your head back as if that would someone stop the tears from falling. “I’m okay, at least I will be,” you choked, “I just don’t know if I can talk about it. Not right now.” 

Chris stroked your hair calmingly, “that’s perfectly alright. I’m going to the lab for a few minutes, are you okay to be alone now?”

You squeezed her hand and gave her a thankful smile. “I’ll be okay. Can I stay here for a little bit?”

“Of course. Holler if you need anything.” 

She walked away and you rolled over onto your side, taking in deep breaths and trying to reassure yourself. 

They’ll be back soon. They’ll be okay. It’ll be okay. Breathe. Just breathe. 

When McCoy walked back into the med bay a few hours later you were still there, wrapped tightly in a thin blanket and sleeping restlessly. 

“Hey darlin’,” He quietly set down his med pack and walked over to you, shaking his head at your sleeping form. “You’re quite the little firecracker, aren’t you?” 

“Yes, I am,” you mumbled wearily, cracking an eye open and peering up at him.

“I would ask you what happened back there, but I’m fairly certain I already know.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, tentatively taking your hand. 

“I’m sorry, McCoy.” You whispered, “I know it was wrong of me to lose control like that but I just couldn’t stop thinking about her. I can’t lose you… anyone… like that, ever again.”

“I can’t promise you nothing will ever happen,” he said after a moment, “but I can tell you that everyone on this ship, myself included, are fully aware of and capable of handling the danger we put ourselves in every day just by being out here. I know that’s hard to deal with sometimes, but it’s the life we’ve chosen.”

You just nodded, staring at the ground. You wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that being on the Enterprise was worth the risks, but it was hard to accept how easily you could lose someone again. 

“Y/N, look at me.” He placed a hand under your chin and raised your eyes to meet his. “Do you trust me?”

You nodded again, tears silently spilling down your cheeks onto his hand. 

“Let me tell you right now, nothing is going to happen, not to you or anyone else on this ship. Not if I have anything to do with it.” It was fact when he said it, an undeniable claim that held more weight than any law.

“Okay,” you met his eyes, melting into their openness. 

“Okay.”

He pulled you into a hug, holding you tightly against his chest. He smelled like his sweater, like mahogany and pine and the metallic, citrusy tinge of the med bay. You were still riddled with anxiety and fear and the heavy chains of the past, but in this moment you allowed yourself to be comforted and held by this man you felt yourself falling in love with faster every day.

“It won’t stop raining, Leonard.” You spoke softly against his shoulder.

“I know, darlin’. I know.”


	5. Someone's in Tribble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one was by far my favorite to write so far, enjoy!

It had been several weeks since the alien virus incident and you were back on duty, ready to give the Enterprise a second chance.

You sighed and tightened your ponytail, the doors of the medbay whooshing open to reveal the usually sterile room littered with piles of purring, fluffy little creatures. 

“McCoy?” you peeked your head around the corner, but the doctor was nowhere to be found. You weren’t sure what these balls of fur were exactly, but their humming had a soothing effect and you started to feel yourself grow drowsy. 

“Hey, little guy,” you picked up a small white one, smiling when it purred happily at your touch. “Where did all of your friends come from?”

Suddenly, a hand shot out from the nearest pile of fluffy balls and grabbed your ankle. 

“What the FUCK!” you yelled, jumping back and nearly dropping the animal in your hands. 

McCoy’s head popped up from the mound as he continued to flail around, unable to find a handhold amongst the shifting, startled creatures. You burst out laughing and had to lean against the nearest bed for support. 

“Dear god, McCoy, what happened to you?” you gasped between chuckles. 

His expression was deeply unamused as he dragged himself to his feet and yanked his rumpled blue shirt down. 

“These tribbles, I swear they’ll be the death of me,” he glanced disdainfully around the room, “one minute I was working on some paperwork, minding my own damn business, and the next I’m on the floor covered in fluffy beasts.” 

“Is that what they’re called? Tribbles?” you gave yours an affectionate pat before attempting to stifle a yawn. McCoy’s hair was sticking up a little in the back, making him look especially endearing even as he let out an exasperated sigh.

“Yeah, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from them. The whole damn crews lost their minds over the furballs, and they reproduce like crazy.” 

“Come on, McCoy, they’re so sweet!” You held out your snow-white tribble to him, moving towards him so that you were inches from his face with nothing but the tribble in your hands between you, “see, he likes you.”

“Y/N, the captain’s asked me to figure out more about these little bastards and I need you to help me,” he took the tribble from you and stepped back hastily. 

You crossed your arms and raised an eyebrow, “if you dislike them so much, then why are you still holding Arnold?”

“It’s been five minutes since you walked in here and you’ve already named it?”

“See, I told you he likes you,” you gestured to the increasingly loud purrs coming from McCoy’s hand and smiled smugly. 

“Well, at least someone around here has good taste,” he grumbled, a slight upward twitch touching the corners of his mouth. “We do still have to work, though.” 

You sighed and cleared some errant tribbles off of the table, slipping on your white lab coat. McCoy was still holding Arnold, to your absolute delight, and didn’t seem keen on letting him go. 

“I think we can keep Arnold around and still get some work done,” you peeked up at him with a sly smile. 

He set the tribble down in the center of the table and rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself as he pulled out his PADD. You worked in comfortable silence together for a while, running experiments and trying to collect as much information as you could on the mysterious and darling creatures that were just so soft and gentle and…

You yawned and stretched, unable to fight the foggy drowsiness that seeped into you any longer. McCoy didn’t seem to be doing much better as he slouched against the table and propped his head up with his hand.

“Are you tired, or is it just me?”

“It’s not just you,” you groaned and sank to the floor. When you looked up you saw that McCoy was staring bleary-eyed into the distance, mindlessly petting Arnold, his eyes drifting shut. 

“Let’s just… take a quick nap, okay doc?” You clumsily patted the floor next to you, “it’s much comfier down here, the tribbles make a nice cushion.”

“Tell me about it,” he sat down next to you and leaned his head against the wall. You watched as his eyes drifted shut, and somewhere in the back of your mind you had the urge to kiss the forehead of this wonderfully gentle and sleepy McCoy. 

“We can’t sleep for too long, okay?” he murmured something about the captain being unhappy, but by then you had already drifted off on your pile of warm, fuzzy tribbles. 

 

“What the hell, you two?”

You were awoken from your peaceful slumber by an eerily calm Captain Kirk; he somehow managed to exude an aura of absolute fury without even raising his voice.

You squinted at him and went to sit up, but instead found a still-sleeping McCoy sprawled across you very unprofessionally with his head on your shoulder and an arm across your waist. 

“Oh, hi Jim,” you rubbed your eyes, “we were just taking a quick nap, we did some testing and the results are on the table if you want to look.”

“Did you figure out what these damn tribbles are doing to my crew?” 

“Um, no, but – hey, McCoy, wake up, tell the Captain what we found out so far,” you nudged him. He awoke with a start, instantly sitting up out of his awkward position. 

“Well if you look at the PADD to your right – “ he started.

“Do you know exactly what’s happening here, Bones?” Jim raised his eyebrows, his hands clasped behind his back. 

“No, not yet Jim. But we’re close.” 

“Get back to me when you do,” Jim sighed and let his stern expression fall for a moment, “you know I don’t like to interfere with your work, but I can’t have this. I can’t have my CMO and one of his top staff members sleeping on the job, especially when I’m depending on you to figure something out.” 

“My apologies, sir,” You said with as much dignity as you could muster while covered in tribbles. “It won’t happen again.” 

“Good to hear it, Y/N. And Bones?” 

“Yessir?” he said it almost teasingly, raising an eyebrow at the captain. 

“We’ll talk later.” Jim strode out of the medbay, cool as a cucumber. 

The doors hissed shut and you sat in stunned silence as you did your best to resist the soothing sound of purring tribbles, lulling you back to sleep. 

“Someone’s in tribble.” 

“What?” McCoy gaped at you.

“I said, someone’s in tribble.” You whispered, a small laugh bubbling out of you.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Y/N,” McCoy smacked you playfully on the arm before he stood up and started to collect armfuls of tribbles, “we should move the little bastards before we fall asleep again.” 

“I guess,” you conceded. “Can we still keep Arnold, though?”

McCoy stared at you incredulously for at least as minute before finally giving in. 

“Fine. But if you yawn even once, he’s gone.”

“You got it. Oh, and McCoy?”

“Yeah?”

“I hope you’re not in too much tribble.” 

You cackled and ran as fast as you could out of the medbay, tribbles and doctor in tow, laughing all the way.


	6. Don't Walk Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading, as always, enjoy and feel free to leave comments!

It was a long, petrifyingly dull day in the medbay. The pile of PADDs and paperwork in front of you stared you down menacingly and you stared right back with a tired frown. You were starting to regret your offer to McCoy to finish updating the crew’s records so he could go on the away mission, but at least Arnold was here to keep you company.

You smiled at the winter-white wiggling ball of fluff sitting on the table next to your elbow. McCoy had agreed to let Arnold stick around after the tribble incident was taken care of, and he had become a sort of mascot for the medical crew. 

“Could today possibly get any more boring?” you sighed, slamming your head on the table. 

No sooner had the words left your mouth when your comm pinged and you instantly regretted bemoaning your boredom. 

“Y/N here,” you yawned. 

“Is M’Benga there? He isn’t answering my calls,” Jim’s panicked voice rang out over the quiet room. 

A knot started to form in your stomach at his hurried tone. “Jim, M’Benga’s on shore leave. He won’t be back for at least another three days and it would take him six hours to get here,” you paused, almost afraid to ask, “why can’t McCoy help you?”

At that moment, Jim and the rest of the away team burst through the doors. A battered, bloody, and nearly unconscious McCoy was being carried between them, a large piece of shrapnel embedded in his side. 

“Fuck, Jim, what did you do to him?” you shot out of your seat and pulled on a pair of gloves, rushing to help them lift McCoy onto the nearest bed. 

“Something exploded, it hit bones,” he stuttered, shaking his head frantically. 

“I can fucking see that, Jim, thanks a lot.” You shoved down your rising panic and jumped into action, grabbing the nearest med kit and leaning in to examine the injured doctor. It wouldn’t do McCoy any good if you lost control, especially with M’Benga gone and most of the other medical staff off duty.

“I don’t know what happened, Y/N, everything was going fine and then –“ 

You pushed him aside, wrapping your hands around the twisted metal buried in McCoy’s side. “I’m sorry, Jim, but at this point, I really don’t care,” you stopped and looked at him pointedly, “you may want to step back.”

Jim’s eyes widened even further, “shouldn’t we call M’Benga and wait for him to get back?”

“If we wait any longer he’s going to bleed out and die,” you shook your head, “I may not be the CMO, but I am a doctor. I can do this, Jim, but you have to let me.” 

He nodded and backed away, leaving you to your bloody work. Your mother’s ghost was everywhere; it clung to the walls of the ship and echoed in the expressionless face of McCoy as it wrapped its icy fingers tighter around your heart. You worked long into the night and felt nothing but determination to not lose another person you loved to the dark ravages of space.

+

The only sounds you could hear were the rushing of blood in your ears and the pounding of your racing heart as you sank the floor of McCoy’s office. Your hands were red, your shirt was red, everything was red except for the blinding, inescapable whiteness in every corner of the Enterprise. 

The office was dark, dark enough that you couldn’t see the dripping crimson on your hands or the hot tears hitting the floor. You could pretend that your breathing wasn’t coming in short, shallow gasps, that the world wasn’t spinning, that somehow you could go back to normal after nearly watching the man you loved die. 

“Dammit, McCoy,” you grabbed fistfuls of your hair and curled into yourself as you leaned heavily against the wall, “I can’t do this if I’m in love with you.” 

The realization slammed into you like a ton of meteors, burying you under the weight of what you promised yourself would never happen again. There was no way you could stay here, no way you could grow to love him, and whole damn crew for that matter, only to watch them die. You might have saved McCoy this time, but the aching feeling in your stomach told you that there would have to come a time where you would lose one of them, if not all of them, and there would be nothing you could do to stop it. 

You wrote and submitted your resignation letter, not stopping to change until you had gotten back to your room and started to clean yourself up. Your reflection startled you for a moment when you went to shove your things into a bag; the person staring back at you was the same exhausted, empty, and desperate one that had haunted you for so long before you joined Starfleet again. You had thought that person was nearly gone, but the look they gave you made it clear that you couldn’t outrun your past so easily. 

You walked out of your quarters for the last time only to run straight into Jim. He was clutching a pad so hard he was nearly shaking as he stared you down. 

“What the hell is this, Y/N?” 

“My resignation,” you shoved past him for the second time that day, “I need to get going or I’ll miss the shuttle going to the nearest Federation star base.” 

He grabbed your arm without missing a beat, “Y/N, you saved Bones’ life today. We need you, here,” his eyes clouded over with confusion, “Did something happen? Come on, let’s go somewhere and we can talk, just don’t make any decisions yet.”

“I can’t stay here, Jim,” you choked back the tears that were threatening to fall again. 

“Why? You can’t just leave, not like this. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Ask McCoy once he wakes up,” you yanked yourself out of his grasp, “I’m sorry. Tell McCoy – tell him I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore.” 

“Please, Y/N, talk to me. You’re a part of this crew, of this family, and what happens to you matters to me,” he touched your shoulder reassuringly, “don’t walk away. Besides, Bones would kill me if he found out I let you leave without saying goodbye.”

You could feel your heart shattering as you wordlessly shook your head and turned away, unable to stand the hurt and confusion in his eyes. There was no way you could explain it now, there wasn’t enough time and he was too kind, too willing to help. You knew you wouldn’t be able to drag yourself away once Jim Kirk had decided you were worth helping, and that wasn’t a risk you were willing to take. You had to leave the Enterprise – it was the only way to protect yourself. 

You checked your watch to see that still had a few minutes until your shuttle left as you passed the med bay and you ducked in, wanting to check on McCoy one last time. 

He was still unconscious, breathing steadily as the monitors beeped around him. You stepped quietly over to his bed and gently brushed back his hair with your fingertips. 

“Thank you for trying,” you whispered, “Thank you for believing in me.”

You sat in silence for a few moments, letting the last of your tears fall as you stroked his temple. 

“I tried, McCoy, I really did. I promise you, I wanted nothing more than to stay here with you,” you dragged in a shaky breath and stood to leave as you took in one last look around. 

“I’m sorry I let you down.”

You leaned down to press a quick kiss to his forehead, then turned and walked away without looking back.


	7. Interlude

The following messages were sent from the COMM of Dr. Leonard H. McCoy 

What the hell, Y/N? I wake up from a damn near-death experience and the first thing I fucking hear is Jim telling me that you’ve run off to god knows where without so much as a goodbye? You could’ve at least waited until I woke up for fucks sake. I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing but you’d better come back soon before I come get you myself.  
+  
Listen, I’m sorry I snapped at you. Jim told me how upset you were, I know it must have been terrifying to perform that surgery on your own but you clearly did a good job, seeing as I’m still alive and all. Just come on back and we’ll explain it all to Jim, we’ll forget this ever happened, okay? We need you here. I need you here.   
Also, Arnold misses you.   
+  
I told Jim about Diana. He understands why you would want to leave, but he wishes you had talked to him before running off like that. Just… give me a call okay? Or send a message or… something. Just let me know you’re all right.   
+  
For fucks sake, Y/N, let me know you’re not floating around dead in an asteroid field or something. I can’t believe you. I can’t believe you would abandon your crew like this. It’s hard to find good doctors, kid. I don’t know why you came here in the first place if you were going to run at the first sign of trouble. We’ve all lost people, Y/N, every single one of us. You’re not fucking special, okay? Jim’s father fucking died before he was barely born out here and you don’t see him running away. Just let me know you’re not dead and I’ll leave you alone, sound good?   
+  
Oh, so you can message Jim but not me? Okay, fine, not like I fucking care. I don’t know what you’re so damn afraid of, but I hope you get over it one day for your own sake.   
+  
I know what it’s like to lose a parent, Y/N. Come back, maybe I’ll tell you about it.   
+  
Christine misses you.   
+  
I miss you.  
+  
Please come back, darlin.   
+  
There’s so much I need to tell you.  
+  
You know what? Fine. Don’t come back. Just leave us all behind, leave behind everyone who cares about you because you’re too damn terrified to face reality. Good luck with whatever you’ve found to occupy yourself this time and don’t bother to call. Don’t call Jim, either.   
+

Hey, Jim. Please tell McCoy I’m safe. Make sure he doesn’t forget to feed Arnold, I know he gets distracted sometimes with work. Thank you for everything.   
\- Y/N


	8. Sunlight and Shattered Glasses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s finally here, kids! This is basically The Scene of this entire story, and I think it might be one of my favorites, so I hope y’all like it too! Feedback is always welcome and very much appreciated, happy reading!

You picked up another glass and let out a sigh as you methodically wiped it clean. Traffic in the bar was a little slower than usual, the steady ebb and flow of clientele the only marker of time passing for you in a sea of endless days. 

“Excuse me m’am, could I get a bourbon?” 

Your heart dropped at the sound of that achingly familiar drawl and you squeezed your eyes shut, praying you were somehow mistaken.

“Don’t pretend you can’t hear me, Y/N.” 

You turned slowly until your eyes narrowed on McCoy, lounging back in his seat with an arm draped over the empty chair back beside him. He was in civilian clothes, sporting a beat-up leather jacket over his grey t-shirt and a five o’clock shadow to match. 

“How the fuck did you find me?” you said through gritted teeth. You hastily poured a bourbon and shoved it at him before grabbing another glass and cleaning it with renewed vigor. 

He shrugged, still leaning back, and looking much too casual for someone you had abandoned in a med bay nearly three months prior without a word. “Tracked your comm. Jim figured it was about time for a shore leave anyway, and we were in the system.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have sent that damn message,” you muttered darkly, avoiding eye contact at all costs. “Why the hell are you here? I told you not to come after me.”

“Because I know you better than that, sugar,” he sipped his drink, “you should’ve known whatever bullshit excuse you gave Jim wouldn’t be good enough for me.”

You clutched the edge of the bar until your knuckles went white, but you couldn’t stop shaking with fury. 

“Maybe you should’ve respected my wishes and left me alone.” 

“You can’t run forever, Y/N,” his gaze softened as he looked at you, “do you really want to spend your whole life working in dives like this?”

“I think you’re done here,” you snatched his empty glass away and turned around. 

His mouth opened to retort, but he bit back the words almost instantly. He had been so ready to be angry with you, so ready to tell you just how much you had hurt him by leaving, but there was something in your eyes that stopped him.

“Darlin’,” you felt his hand close gently around your arm, “I know I keep saying this, but this isn’t what Diana –“ 

You whirled around, throwing the glass in your hand at the wall behind his head. The last thread of restraint you had left was broken and you were seized by a sudden, uncontrollable rage. Silence fell over the few patrons in the bar as it shattered against the wood paneling, but you couldn’t care less. 

“How dare you?!” You stood there, wild-eyed and trembling, “how dare you tell me what my mother would have wanted? What gives you the right to come in here acting like you’re somehow better than me, like you know what I’ve been through?” you scoffed bitterly, “you’re just as bad as I am, McCoy, only instead of running away from Starfleet, you use Starfleet to run away.” 

He slammed his hand on the table and stood up, his face inches from yours; he seemed more stung by your words than the glass that had flown by his head moments before. 

“Oh, come off it Y/N!” he snarled, “you’re not fucking special. I’ve lost people too, you know. We’ve all lost people, but it’s part of life and at some point you’ve got to stop being such a goddamn coward and move on!”

Your lips curled back in a sneer, ready to hurl every variety of venomous accusation you could think of, when your manager came storming out of the back. His jaw dropped in horror when he saw the mess you’d made and he wordlessly pointed at the door, that one action telling you everything you needed to know.

“I know, I’m fired,” you snapped before grabbing your things and hurrying out the door. You could practically feel McCoy’s simmering frustration as he followed you closely with his hand on your arm. 

You slammed the door behind you and yanked your arm out of his grasp, pulling up your hood against the cool summer rain. The calming, rhythmic pattering of droplets on pavement dragged you back to the present; the burning rage that had consumed you was gone as quickly as it had come. 

“You’ve got some kind of nerve, you know that?” you huffed, “tracking me down, waltzing in back there like you own the place, reprimanding me like I’m a fucking child, getting me fired.”

He raised an incredulous eyebrow at you.

“You threw a glass. At my head.”

“You don’t know what she would have wanted, McCoy,” you ignored him, shoving your hands in your pockets and meeting his eyes, “and I’m sick you acting like you do.”

“I just meant that she would’ve wanted better for you. Maybe it’s Starfleet, maybe it’s not.” He absentmindedly kicked at the ground, frowning at the sidewalk, “anyone could see how much she loved you, Y/N. She just wanted you to be happy.” 

“And what if I am happy?” 

He gave you that piercing stare again and crossed his arms, the passage of time marked only by the gentle pattering of the rain. 

“Say it again,” he challenged, leaning back on his heels, “look me in the eyes and tell me how fucking happy you are, and I’ll leave you alone. No more messages, no more surprise visits, I’ll just turn around and walk away and you can forget you ever met me. Sound good?” 

You clenched and unclenched your fists, trying to find the words, but they just wouldn’t come. There was no way you could say it, no way you could look in his eyes and lie to him after everything he had done for you. Memories of the few short months you were on the Enterprise came washing over you, of soft sweaters and dinners with the crew and walks through the halls with McCoy when neither of you could sleep. The terrifying moments you had dealt with while onboard couldn’t be ignored, but the aliveness and sense of purpose you had felt on that ship far outweighed any fear you had of going back. 

Your resolved crumbled and you felt hot tears start to mingle with the coolness of the rain on your cheeks. McCoy’s expression softened instantly and he reached for you, pulling you in and enveloping you in his warmth while you sobbed quietly into his shirt. 

“It’s all right, darlin’, I’m here,” he whispered soothingly, running his hand through your hair. 

You realized that in the years since her death, you had never truly allowed yourself to mourn the person you loved most in the world. You had existed in a state of in-between, unable to feel anything but melancholy and bitterness towards the universe, floating from place to place and severing every connection from your old life that could have possibly brought you back. 

Until McCoy showed up, that is, with his own share of attitude and gruffness that so perfectly matched your own. He was always so understanding and persistent despite your stubbornness and you had only pushed him away and oh, god, he was looking at you so earnestly and he had the most open, beautiful eyes you’d ever seen and you just wanted to kiss him more than anything and then you were, then you were kissing him, finally, and the universe stood still because nothing could ever be more important than that grumpy, relentless, wonderful man holding you like he’d never let you go. 

He pulled back first, looking at you intently. 

“Darlin’, I have to ask –“ 

“Yes, Leonard, I’m sure,” you smiled so hard you were practically glowing, “I’m not just kissing you because I’m sad and lonely and need something to do, I’m kissing you because you’re probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

He started, his brows knitting together. 

“Can you say that again for me?” 

You frowned at his confusion, feeling a little befuddled yourself. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me?”

“No, no, the first part,” he shook his head, “you called me Leonard.” 

“Isn’t that your name?”

He chuckled, “you’ve just never called me Leonard before, is all.”

“It was easier to pretend I wasn’t in love with you if I only used your last name,” you froze, realizing too late what you had accidentally confessed.

“Shit.”

A delighted grin spread across his face as he ran a hand through your hair and pressed his forehead against yours, pulling you in until your lips were barely a hair’s breadth apart. 

“Think you can say that again for me too, sweetheart?” 

“Leonard McCoy, I am in love with you,” you declared, throwing your arms around his neck and laughing as he kissed you again with even more fervor than the last time. 

You squinted as a ray of sun hit your face and you looked up at the sky, finding it had gone from cloudy grey to clear blue sometime in the past few minutes. 

“Hey, Leonard,” you tugged on his sleeve. 

“What is it, Y/N?”

You closed your eyes and smiled, tilting your face towards the sun and letting it warm you to your core.

“It finally stopped raining.”


	9. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final installment is here! I hope you all liked it, thank you so much for reading!

You stretched languidly and yawned as you woke up to the familiar smell of coffee brewing. After turning over and curling up onto your side, you reluctantly cracked an eye open and smiled at the sight of your favorite CMO standing in front of you, wearing nothing but his striped pajama pants and holding two steaming mugs. 

“Mornin’ sugar,” Leonard drawled, leaning down to give you a quick peck on the cheek. 

“What time is it?” You grumbled incoherently and buried your face in the pillow.

“Time for you to wake up so you’re not late to your shift,” Leonard carefully sat down on his side of the bed, still holding the mugs, and nudged you with his foot. “Come on, you gotta sit up if you want me to give you this.” 

You groaned and forced your eyes open, dragging yourself to a seated position and slouching against the headboard. Leonard handed you your favorite mug and you couldn’t help but smile at his bemused expression. 

Your eyes fluttered as you inhaled the rich aroma of the delicious, highly caffeinated coffee, and you heard Leonard chuckle when you sighed deeply at the first sip. 

“I’ll give you one thing,” you snuggled up against his chest as he wrapped an arm around your shoulders, “you make a damn good cup of coffee.” 

He raised his eyebrows in agreement and sipped on his own mug, tucking you in closely to his side. Suddenly, he jolted upright, sending you and your sloshing coffee forward.

“Shit.” 

“What the fuck, Len?” you frowned and sucked on your hand where the hot liquid had splattered. 

“Did you remember to feed Arnold?” he asked, worry creasing his brow. 

You rolled your eyes and pulled him back down onto the pillows, “yes, Leonard, I fed Arnold. Calm down before you make me spill the rest of my coffee and have to endure an entire day in the medbay with a very grumpy human.”

“Would that very grumpy human be you, or me?” he smirked. 

“Definitely me. But you’d be grumpy too eventually, because I refuse to suffer a bad mood without company.”

You felt a warm laugh rumble in his chest as you curled up next to him again, smiling at how content and safe he made you feel. The two of you were quiet for a while, just enjoying each other’s company before the hectic workday began. He sighed softly, and you looked up to find him staring down at you, an affectionate little half smile on his face. 

“What’s gotten into you?” you asked, only a little suspiciously. 

“Nothin’ much, darlin’,” he pressed a kiss to your forehead, “just seems that this was a long time comin’, is all.”

You placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him, slow and sweet, and knew that once again, Leonard McCoy was absolutely right.


End file.
